I thought Guilin’s landscape was stunning enough until I stepped into Baise
✨✨🌿
Earlier, I took hundreds of breathtaking landscape shots in Guilin and was convinced that Guangxi’s most beautiful scenery was set. Before leaving, I even quietly wondered: would Guangxi’s landscapes just follow Guilin’s style? But when I stood by the shore of E Spring in Jingxi at dawn, with a thin mist gently covering the lake, I almost couldn’t hold my camera steady. This place isn’t a replica of classic scenery; it’s nature’s custom-made, stunning filter just for Baise!
🏞️ To put it simply: Baise’s wild mountain scenery carries a bold, untamed beauty
▪️ E Spring at dawn looks like a fairyland! A single bamboo raft glides across the emerald lake, splitting the jade-like water. The rice fields along the shore are lush and green. Local villagers cast nets to fish, cormorants dive sharply into the water, and the ripples blend the distant peaks into a flowing ink painting. The best part is the complete tranquility—while I quietly took photos on the stone bridge for half an hour, there were no tourists competing for spots. Only an elderly fisherman on the shore smiled and advised that shooting against the morning light would make the photos more vivid.
▪️ Tongling Grand Canyon feels like a real-life secret film set! Walking through deep caves, I suddenly encountered an underground waterfall plunging down. The splashing water was refreshingly cool, and stalactites hung overhead like natural crystal chandeliers. Wild orchids grew in the cracks of the cliffs. Compared to the commercialized and developed Guilin caves, this place retains its original rainforest charm. Although my legs ached after the hike, I couldn’t help but praise the ticket price as a great value.
▪️ The sunset at Quyang Lake is utterly captivating! Taking a boat tour, you can clearly see the lake’s water layers shift from transparent mint green near the shore, to gentle Tiffany blue in the middle, and deep, bottomless navy blue farther out. The karst peaks along the shore take on various shapes, resembling camels or reclining Buddhas resting by the lake. The boatman said that on full moon nights, the lake sparkles like it’s sprinkled with stars. At that moment, the difference was clear: Guilin’s landscape is a meticulously crafted bonsai, while Baise’s lake and mountains are a freely flowing scroll of scenery—rough, bold, and full of life 🌊
🍜 Exploring Baise means your appetite will always be filled with diverse local flavors
▪️ For breakfast, you must try the authentic rolled rice noodles! Thin as cicada wings, the rice sheets wrap minced pork and wood ear mushrooms, drizzled with a secret yellow skin sauce and garlic juice. You can get three rolls for just 5 yuan. The smooth, soft texture is incredibly comforting. The vendor said the sauce is the soul of the dish, and with a spoonful of local millet chili, even the broth can be drunk to the last drop.
▪️ At lunch, head straight to Tianyang roast duck noodles! The charcoal-roasted duck skin is crispy and flaky. The handmade noodles soak up the rich duck broth, paired with pickled bamboo shoots and fried soybeans. For 12 yuan, you get a filling meal. The owner saw how much I enjoyed it and gave me homemade fermented bean curd sauce for free. Its fresh, rich flavor left a lasting impression.
▪️ The night market is a carb lover’s paradise! The sour snack vendor freshly peels green mangoes, dipping them in chili salt for a spicy, tangy kick. The stir-fried perilla snails get more addictive with every bite, paired with a 3-yuan cup of sweet locust flower jelly that instantly cools you down. Nearby, students sneaking out from evening study sessions order with ease, and the vendor watches out for them, instantly bringing back memories of youthful days.
❤️ Compared to popular tourist spots, these simple moments touch the heart more deeply
▪️ In Bama’s longevity village, I met a 92-year-old grandmother sitting on a bamboo chair weaving Zhuang brocade. When she saw the camera, she shyly waved it off, then turned and pulled a warm roasted sweet potato from her bamboo basket and handed it to me. She slowly said: villagers go to bed early and rise early, have open hearts, and live simply—that’s the secret to longevity.
▪️ Riding a small electric scooter around Chengbi Lake, I was caught in a sudden rain shower and took shelter in a street corner convenience store. The shop owner moved a charcoal brazier close to me and told stories of when the Red Army passed through Baise and how locals wholeheartedly supported them. After the rain stopped, a full rainbow stretched across the lake. The owner joked that even the heavens cleared up for visitors from afar.
▪️ At the end of the trip, I bought mangoes at the market. The vendor insisted on giving me extra fresh fruit, saying Baise mangoes get plenty of sunshine and are super sweet, just like the straightforward and warm-hearted locals. Taking a bite of the plump fruit, juice dripped down my fingers, leaving a sweet, unforgettable taste.
💡 Four real tips for traveling in Baise
❌ It’s not like Guilin, where every step is a photo spot, but roadside waterfalls and old banyan trees at village entrances create an atmosphere far beyond mass-produced tourist sites
✅ Very low commercialization. Tongling Grand Canyon tickets cost only 60 yuan, offering much better value than popular cave attractions. There are no hawkers following visitors to sell souvenirs
❌ Plan transportation ahead: after arriving by high-speed rail in Baise city, it’s best to rent a car to reach the Jingxi area. Along the way, hidden gems like rice field coffee shops await on country roads
✅ The best months to visit are May and June, during mango season. Rainfall is moderate, the climate is pleasant, and a light jacket is enough for morning and evening temperature changes. Locals say this is when the mountains and fields are the greenest
Five days of slow travel in Baise, slowly understanding the difference between two kinds of landscapes: Guilin is the textbook example of refined beauty, while Baise feels like a freehand draft, unstructured but full of spirit and warmth. It doesn’t have the famous title of “the best landscape under heaven,” but it has mountain songs, street noodle stalls, laughter, and strangers handing you warm roasted sweet potatoes. These small, warm memories are far more unforgettable than any scenic photo.
On the return high-speed train passing through fields, I saw an elderly woman in blue slowly planting rice seedlings, her every move seeming to whisper to the land. Suddenly I realized that travel doesn’t need to chase the title of “number one in the world.” Encountering such simple, healing everyday moments is a truly fulfilling journey✨